RANDOM THOUGHTS

Part of my blog name includes 'random thoughts' and I have been having a few lately.

My procrastination has kicked into high gear this year, maybe due to the very cold and long winter, a cold and very wet spring,  jumping right into the hot and very humid days of summer.  Or could it be age?

Ever since the first of July I had intended to write about this: have you ever thought about the July 4th holiday is maybe the only one that is labeled by its date rather than the true name of the holiday? It is Independence Day. But everywhere you look, and every reporter in the papers, on tv and radio call it the 4th of July.  I did hear one tv reporter actually talk about Independence Day.

People ask, "What are you going to do on the 4th?" or "Let's plan a picnic for the 4th and watch the fireworks." By not calling it Independence Day all the time, do we even think about the true reason for the holiday, or just focus on summer activities and fireworks and nothing else other than flying the flag and everything, including clothing, and food showing the red, white and blue theme.

I have been trying to think of any other holiday that is commonly called by its date and I can't think of one. I suppose you could include May Day, naming the month, but it isn't really a holiday. Does anyone still make May Day baskets to give to friends? Did you make them in school? Or at home with parent's help? I can remember folding lace paper doilies into a cone, using a pipe cleaner as a handle and filling with small candies like jelly beans. Then you would sneak up to the door of a friend, hang the basket on the door handle, ring the bell or knock and then quick run and hide. The receiver then has to guess who delivered it.

Can any of you think of a holiday that is called by its date rather than the actual title? Please leave a comment if you have one.

HONORING VETERANS

When I was growing up May 30  was called Decoration Day. Several years ago that was changed to Memorial Day, and on a Monday so that it could be a 3-day weekend holiday.

A little history lesson - the first Decoration Day was declared 3 years after the Civil War ended. That was 1868. It was a day to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers.

Today, we decorate anyone's grave, usually family that have passed on. It is good to remember them as well, but it seems to me that the original intent of the holiday has lost its meaning. Our local American Legion puts a star next to the graves of veterans, along with a small American flag, so there is some distinction to show others there is a veteran buried there. Most cemeteries will have some kind of ceremony on the grounds, including Taps on a trumpet.

The mural in the picture above, is painted on the side of our Legion building. That wall is also right next to the property where my husband and I lived. Our garage was directly in front of the Legion wall here. It is so fitting to have the mural here, since my husband was a WWII veteran and very proud of it. He was also a Legion member from the time he got out of the service, until his death.

According to a newspaper article about this mural, the faces of the men were purposely left blank so that you could picture your loved one there.

I hope you have spent a little time this weekend, remembering those that have died in your family, as well as friends, but especially any veterans in your family. They fought hard for your freedom, and many lost their lives in the fight.

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Are you doing something special for July 4th? Here are a couple of simple things to make, that even the kids can help with. I found these on Pinterest.

First are the red/white/blue strawberries. Simply dip the strawberry tip in melted white chocolate, then dip in blue colored sugar. The kids will have fun with this, they are cute and yummy!

Then there are the color layered rice krispie treats. These
are cut in the usual squares, but I saw one suggestion to cut them into stars with a cookie cutter. How cute would that be on a plate?

Check out spoonful.com for lots of July 4th ideas, including coloring pages for kids and other activities, decorations and food. There are so many possibilities!

Enjoy the holiday weekend, fly the flag, and stay safe!

Down Memory Lane - Happy Birthday America!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!

 

 

Two hundred and thirty seven years ago America gained its Independence and became a free nation. Does it seem that this country has forgotten the reason the why and how this took place? I am hearing all the time that schools are not teaching true history, and that our kids are now history illiterate. How sad! I have to admit I didn't like history class very much. But that was mostly because I can never remember dates and timelines, so when it came to taking tests, I didn't do very well. And it is quite possible that the teachers did not make it interesting enough to be memorable. It also seems to me that the people in Washington, DC, have lost sight of the history of our country and the direction our forefathers wanted this country to go.

 

Do any of you remember an old tv commercial with an Native American was looking down at the destruction man has done to earth, then turns to the camera with a tear rolling down his cheek? That is the way I feel today with our government.

 

Today is a national holiday. There will be firework displays tonight or some time during the weekend. Picnics, barbecues, foods and decorations with lots of American flags and red, white and blue colors. Some people with have a flag flying at home, but even more will not.

 

I hope you will each take the time during your celebrations to remember why we have this holiday and wave your flag.

 

Happy 4th!



July?

It is July 1 already? Half the year is gone and went quickly. Believe me when I say time goes much faster the older you get! And it will soon be the 4th of July - Independance Day - fireworks, maybe a parade or two, neighbors setting off loud 'bomb's' that make me jump in the evenings (and don't appreciate), kids with sparklers. Those were always one of my favorites as a kid.

Here is something fun to do for the holiday.






Patriotic Eggs

• 8 eggs


• food coloring


• 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tsp vinegar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• dash pepper
• dash onion powder
• paprika for dusting

To hard boil eggs: place eggs in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring eggs to a boil. Cover and remove from heat. Let sit for 10 minutes. Drain eggs and cover with ice water. Peel shells off of eggs once cooled off.

To dye eggs: place eggs in a container and cover with water. You will need 20 drops of food coloring per 1/2 cup of water. Measure water that you pour over peeled hard boiled eggs and add the appropriate amount of food coloring. Allow to sit in food coloring mixture for 2 hours. Remove from food coloring and dry off.

Deviled Eggs: Slice hard boiled eggs in half. Remove yolks and mash. Add mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, dry mustard, pepper and onion powder. Stir well. Pipe yolk mixture into egg white halves. Sprinkle with paprika. Store in the refrigerator.

Mural Wall before

Isn't this sky a pretty blue?

As I was looking for some other pictures I ran across this one. This should have been included in the other posting. That yellow wall is the one that is now painted with the Veterans mural. The part that is not painted yellow is where our brick garage stood. We drove into it from this angle. Where the two vehicles are is the original garage for the insurance company on the back side of their old offices. The part between that garage and the wall is the back part of their new office and was our back yard. Our side yard was the whole length of their old building from back (alley) to front and about as wide as the house was. This was also before the alley was paved. The corner of the brick building far left in the picture looks similar to the brick of our house and garage. Not the prettiest, and the house did not look like much from the outside, but it had real beauty and character on the inside. If I run across some pictures of the interior some day I will post those. I must have some but they will be print pictures, pre-digital camera, that I will have to scan. 

Patriotism

A Show of Patriotism

I thought you might like to see this mural along with an explanation as to what it means for me. The wall is the side of the local American Legion building. The right maybe 1/3 of the wall is where our double garage used to stand. Our house and yard was where the new building with the two garage doors is now located. That new building is now an insurance office. I don't know who had the mural painted, but I am guessing it was the insurance company rather than the Legion, but I don't know. I was really surprised when I happened to drive by there awhile back and saw that. I kept forgetting to bring my camera along when I went downtown so it has been there for awhile.

This is so fitting for the wall of the American Legion, first of all. But it is also special in another way for me. Not only did we live next to the Legion, but my husband was a long time member there. And he loved it, and was very proud of his service during WWII. And while we were married he became the custodian when the older vet who had been doing it retired. It was a natural fit since we lived next door. Didn't have to go far! He also made sure the coffee pot was set up in the evenings so that there would be coffee ready for the vets early in the mornings. There were quite a few that went there for coffee before they went on to work for the day. I am really surprised that the local newspaper didn't print a picture and story about it, and disappointed as well. I don't know that whoever commissioned the painting considered it as a special honor specifically to my husband, but I think of it in that way. I know he would be very proud to see it there.

I might mention that the alley is now paved. It was gravel the whole time we lived there, I was there for 16 years and my husband had lived there ever since he got out of the Army, and that was around 60 years at the time of his death I think. It would have been really nice if it had been paved all those years we were there, as that alley got a lot of traffic so was always raising the dust.